Galveston Luthier

[lowell holmes]

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/350838



Check this article and tell me what you think about it. He builds them with a jigsaw and sandpaper.

[Gary Herrmann]

That's a great article. He builds with the tools he has use for where he is. To my way of thinking, that makes him an artist.

Man, that must be a lot of sanding.

If we could verify he'd be willing to use them, we could take up a collection and buy him a couple rasps. I wonder what size and grain luthiers typically use?

I kinda think he'd stick with sandpaper just because he's done it that way for so long though. Not sure.

[george wilson]

Sandpaper these days is not that cheap,nor very long lasting. He needs to get a spoke shave or a rasp at least.

When I was a teenager,all I had to work with was a block plane,a pocket knife, and a few well used files. I turned a hacksaw blade upside down,and ground scalloped cuts to make "teeth" to saw the fret grooves in. No special .023" saws were found for sale back then. I had to go to a friend's house just to use his electric drill. Having no money,I'd make another guitar,but have to steal the pickup and tuning pegs off the last one to outfit the new one. Made the bridges out of scrap pieces of brass. A Danelectro type bridge I made out of an automobile bumper 1/8" thick,hammered flat and sawn into a trapezoid shape,so it would "sort of" be chrome plated. The only place I could find to buy a pickup back in the 50's was Carvin Co. I saved up a long time to buy a $25.00 single coil pickup,which was shifted from guitar to guitar. $25.00 back then was the equivalent of $250.00 now,and the pickup was of minimal quality with a small coil and non adjustable pole pieces.

I am wondering if the necks are pre made ones that several supply places sell. You can't put in a truss rod with sand paper,and I can see that his neck has one from the hole in the peghead. The pick guards with electrics,are pre made,available from Stewart McDonalds pretty cheap ($29.00?) Chinese units. I mean,he can't be TOO poor to buy a few tools.

I think he is just making the bodies and putting purchased necks on them.

[Ryan Baker]

The article saya he buys a cheap Fender and transfers the parts over to his body. By the look of it, he probably is transferring the whole neck too. Maybe it's the picture, but that body looks like it's ridiculously thick -- like more than 3 inches (unless it's some kind of semi-acoustic). Seems like a big step down from an Indo Fender body. He could sell the Fender bodies and get more than enough money to buy some better tools. But if it's his hobby and it makes him happy, more power to him.